Warning days after Brisbane foam spill

People have been warned not to eat seafood or go fishing near Brisbane Airport, four days after a dangerous firefighting foam spewed out of a Qantas hanger and escaped into the stormwater system.

About 22,000 litres of the foam, believed to have contained perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), was released as a result of a sprinkler system fault within the hanger on Monday night.

While about three-quarters was contained, it's likely thousands of litres of the foam still seeped into the wider environment and caused the deaths of 20 nearby fish.

Four days after the leak, health authorities warned people to avoid eating seafood or fishing near the potentially contaminated area around the lower reaches of the Brisbane River, from Bulimba Creek to Fisherman Island, and north to Shorncliffe.

The warning coincided with Good Friday, when those of the Catholic faith generally abstain from eating meat and opt for fish instead.

Queensland Environment Minister Steven Miles said the spill was "very substantial" and the state government was in the process of phasing out the chemicals used in the foam.

The recently introduced Queensland ban didn't apply to the airport site because it was controlled and regulated by the Commonwealth, he said.

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Nevertheless, Dr Miles said the incident should "send a message" to industries that they should dispose of the firefighting foam if they have it.

"This is a chemical that has caused concern worldwide," Dr Miles said on Friday.

Dr Miles stopped short of blaming Qantas for the spill, but said the department would use "all of its powers" to ensure appropriate penalties were applied if necessary.

Meanwhile, chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said there was "no consistent evidence" that exposure posed a threat to humans.

"(But) I understand this was a significant spill (and) avoiding seafood consumption from the impacted area in the short term is a sensible, cautious approach," Dr Young said.

A joint investigation between the Queensland and Commonwealth governments is now underway, and environmental officers have taken water samples from the polluted site, with test results due back next week.

Last November, residents living near defence bases at locations including Oakey, in southern Queensland, were given free access to blood testing after firefighting foam containing PFOA seeped into local soil and groundwater.